Every time a Santa Barbara County resident books a ride through a transportation network company (TNC) like Uber or Lyft, a 10 cent fee is collected to support the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments’ (SBCAG) Access for All program, which aims to enhance reliable, on-demand transportation for people with disabilities and mobility challenges. Care […]
Santa Barbara County boosts transportation access for wheelchair users
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Political Watch: March 20, 2025
• U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, led a group of 31 senators demanding a reversal of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cancellation of food purchase programs across the country, according to a March 17 statement from Schiff’s office. The senators warned that the cancellations would have far-reaching negative […]
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Santa Maria mayoral candidate files small claims suit over a critic’s letter to the editor
One of Santa Maria’s 2024 mayoral candidates is taking a critic to small claims court for a letter published in Noozhawk last October. Diana Perez, who lost her bid for mayor to Alice Patino, filed the claim in January, alleging that Yvette Valadez-Andrade owes $12,500 for defaming “my campaign for mayor of Santa Maria 2024 […]
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Santa Ynez residents sue Solvang over Wildwood development
A group of landowners filed a lawsuit against the city of Solvang on March 7 over a development that is still in the planning process. The Santa Ynez Valley Residents Association (SYVRA) is asking the court to vacate the city’s December 2024 determination that the Wildwood project application is complete, saying the city violated one […]
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Cal Poly commits to three new bachelor’s programs at Hancock College’s Santa Maria campus
Less than a month after introducing a new bill centered on postsecondary education, Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) withdrew from pushing it forward. Without reaching a single hearing, the proposal itself helped solve the problem the bill aimed to fix, Allan Hancock College President Kevin Walthers said. On March 17, Walthers shared a stage with […]
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Precarious permits: Sable awaits Santa Barbara County’s decision on whether it can take over operator permits from ExxonMobil
About a month after Santa Barbara County supervisors voted 2-2 on the appeal to Sable Offshore Corporation’s permit transfer application, the county is still trying to decide what it means. “We are still considering the issue internally, and I do not have an update on our final determination yet,” county Energy, Minerals, and Compliance Deputy […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Amada Cellars opens wine tasting room in Los Alamos, making decades-old dream a reality
Opening soon On April 19, Amada Cellars will host the grand opening for its tasting room at 490 Bell St., No. 104, in Los Alamos. The event will feature a selection of their wines and live music. For more information on the new tasting room, visit exploretock.com/amada-cellars. Seated at a picnic table at Sequoia Grove […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Electric State is visually dazzling and a fun sci-fi comedy romp
The Electric State What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Netflix Anthony and Joe Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Infinity War) direct this sci-fi adventure comedy set in a retro-futuristic 1990s alternative reality. After a war between robots and humans (no, not like Terminator … these bots look like they were […]
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Crip Camp traces the difficult road to disabled rights
Crip Camp What’s it rated? R When? 2020 Where’s it showing? Netflix I first heard about Crip Camp on a podcast that discusses documentaries, and not only did it sound like a wonderfully touching film, but it was executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, so I knew as soon as this came across one […]
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Novocaine is sweet, funny, bloody fun
Novocaine What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande Co-directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen bring Lars Jacobson’s action comedy to the screen about Nathan “Nate” Caine (Jack Quaid), an introverted bank executive […]
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Mitra Cline showcases digital art, interactive installations, and crafts at Lompoc’s Cypress Gallery
The Lompoc Valley Art Association presents Cuckoo’s Mixed Reality Nest, a solo exhibition showcasing works by Santa Barbara-based artist Mitra Cline, at Cypress Gallery. The exhibit is scheduled to open on April 3 and remain on display through April 27. The show is described as a collection of traditional crafts—such as masks, bowls, and cards—and […]
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A $500,000 matching grant boosts SLO REP’s new theater capital campaign
Donate before June 30 Thanks to the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust’s generosity, through June 30, donations to the SLO Repertory Theatre will be doubled. Altogether, the project will cost $21.5 million, and there’s still $2.4 million to raise. More than 90 percent of the goal has been met to break ground in early 2026. […]